Roof construction



l I I W. A. BAILEY ROOF CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 17, 1959 March 26, 1963 INVENTOR KARL FEOGKS' ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,082,576 ROOF CONSTRUCTION William A. Bailey, Riverdale, MtL, assignor to himself and George B. Sweet, Montgomery County, Md., as tenants by the entirety Filed Sept. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 840,722 2 Claims. (Cl. 50--64) The present invention relates to a prefabricated panel for constructing a roof, and more particularly to such a panel in which integral beam members extend beyond one end of the panel proper.

In the erection of low cost building structures, it is highly desirable, from an economy viewpoint, that as much of the structure as possible be prefabricated. By this is means that large sections or parts of the building should be manufactured at a permanent or semipermanent installation, rather than being erected from lumber, boards and other building materials in place at the building site.

One type of prefabricated panel that is now gaining acceptance for use in the erection of buildings is characterized by an internal wood framework having a stressed skin, as plywood or the like, aflixed thereto. The structural unity of this panel, comprising the framework and skin, has been found to be advantageous from the points of view of economy of construction, ease of prefabrication and strength of the resulting structure.

While these panels are sufliciently strong to be used as the roof of a building, without additional supporting rafters or the like, roof constructions utilizing these panels have heretofore had several disadvantages. In one known type of construction using prefabricated panels as roofing panels, there has been provided a special metallic connecting member which was used at the ridge line of a pitched roof to join together two roof panels, each of which sloped downwardly from the ridge line. This metallic connector had to be specially fabricated, and was attached to each of the panels by bolts extending into the panel frame work. This construction 'was objectionable because of the fact that the metal connector member added to the expense of the materials for the building, and the joining of the connector member and the panels could not be accomplished quickly, thus resulting in high labor costs for the construction of the building. Because of the high labor costs, the advantages obtained from prefabricated construction were to a certain extent diminished.

In another known construction utilizing such panels as the roof structure, there was provided a series of posts upon which adjacent edges of two roof panels rested, and where such panels were oppositely and downwardly inclined to form a roof of an inverted V configuration, the post extended to the ridge line of the roof. The provision of posts at the ridge line of a roof may be tolerated in some constructions, but in many other constructions it is unacceptable to use such posts, as where an air conditioning duct is to be installed beneath and parallel to the ridge line.

An object of the present invention is to provide a readily erected and strong roof construction in which preformed panels are utilized.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a roof construction using prefabricated panels in which a clear center span building is obtained.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a roof construction of preformed panels in which the panels are pitched downwardly from a ridge line and in which no central support for the roof is required.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a panel for use in roof construction which may be readily assembled with other like panels to form a roof.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a readily assembled roof construction of panels that are securely engaged with all adjacent panels.

Other objects and the nature and advantages of the instant invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a roof in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of a building utilizing the roof shown in FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 a roof 10 comprising panels 20, 30, 40 and 50. Each of the panels 20, 30, 40 and 50 are substantially identical.

These panels comprise, as illustrated by panel 20, an interior frame that includes parallel beam members 21, 22, 23 and 24, and the cross members 25, 26 and 27 extending between the beam members 21 to 24 at the left hand or upper end of panel 20. Panel 20 also includes a cross member 28 that is parallel to cross members 25, 26 and 27, and it will be understood that the particular arrangement of beam members and cross members as thus described may be altered as may be desired. However, it is generally intended to provide a rectangular frame characterized by the several parallel beam members.

A skin 29 is attached to the upper surface of the frame which is comprised of the aforementioned beam members and cross members, and a similar skin 29 (see FIG. 2) is attached to the underside of this frame. Preferably, this skin is stressed to thereby add general structural strength to the panel 20. The skin 29 extends from the outermost or uppermost edge of the cross members 25, 26 and 27 downwardly, or to the right, and may extend beyond the cross member 28. The under skin 29 extends somewhat beyond the uppermost or outermost edge of the cross members 25, 26 and 27 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

Upper skin 29 and lower skin 29 terminate midway of the width of beam member 24, and the skins of the adjacent panel 30 extends beyond beam member 31 for one half the width of beam 24. There is thereby provided a tongue and groove connection between adjacent panels 20 and 30.

The beam members 21, 22, 23 and 24 extend beyond the cross members 25, 26 and 27, and each has adjacent the free outer and upper end thereof a suitable aperture.

As may be seen from FIG. 1, the panel 40 is substantially identical to the panel 20, and corresponding parts have been correspondingly numbered; thus, in panel 40 the beam members 41, 42, 43 and 44 correspond to the beam members 21, 22, 23 and 24, respectively.

As a consequence of this construction, beam members 21 and 44 may be positioned in adjacent side by side abutting overlapping and contacting relationship shown, and thus there are formed a series of pairs of abutting beam members, one beam member of each pair being for panel 20 and the other beam member of a pair being for panel 40. The pairs of beam members are joined at connector bolts 60 or the like and thus effectively and securely fasten the several panels together.

While panels 20 and 40 are substantially identical, as above noted, these are end panels and are slightly diiferent from the center or intermediate panels 30 and 50. As is illustrated by the part of panel 50 shown in FIG. 1, the beam member 54 thereof does not extend beyond the adjacent cross member 57. As a consequence, there is obtained the construction shown in which a single bolt 61,

slightly longer than the bolt 60, is used to join together the beam member 41 of panel 40, the beam member 24 of panel and the beam member 31 of panel 30. Thus, the panels20, and are joined together by the bolt 61.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is illustrated the roof 10 as applied to an economical building, the building illustrated being particularly adapted to house poultry. 'In poultry housing, it is desirable to provide an air duct beneath and parallel to the ridge line, and thus there may be seen in FIG. 2 the air duct that extends beneath and parallel to the ridge line formed by the panels 20 and 40. The under skins 29" and 49' extend to a juncture line that is parallel to and closely underlies the ridge line of the roof 10. Above the juncture is a ridge cap 64.

Support post 66 may be provided, it being observed that there may be a row of such support post 66 beneath the panel 20 and the panels in line therewith, and there may be a row of similar support posts beneath panel 40 and the panels aligned therewith. However, it is particularly observed that the support post 66 and other similar support posts are not positioned at the ridge line, or in the center of the building, but are instead spaced from the ridge line and thus provide a clear center span building. The building may be completed by utilizing post 67 to support the lower ends of the various panels, the posts 67 also serving as the support for side panels '68. A partition 69 may extend downwardly from the roof 10 to a point above the floor of the building, and a similar partition panel 70 may extend upwardly from the floor of the building to a point slightly above the .lower edge of partition panel 69, partition panels 69 and 70 being on opposite sides of post 66 as shown. The floor 71 of the building shown in FIG. 2 is preferably of concrete and shaped for the ready removal of the droppings.

There has been provided a panel which may be readily preformed and which panel is utilizable in the construction of a roof for a building, the building being desirably free of support posts positioned in the center thereof, or beneath the ridge line in an inverted V type roof construction. The erection of a roof utilizing the panels of the present invention may be accomplished with a minimum of time and equipment, and there. is not required by the present invention any specialconnecting members. The tongue and groove construction between adjacent panels and theinterlock secured by opposed panels separately and together provide a roof construction of high streng and low cost. I a a It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A roof construction comprising at least four wooden prefabricated panels, each said panel comprising at least three wooden beam members extending in spaced, generally parallel relationship, at least two of said beam members being of substantially the same length and having their ends aligned, at least said two beam members being of substantially uniform transverse cross-section throughout their lengths, cross members extending transversely' of said Wooden beam members and secured thereto whereby to form a generally rectangular frame, some of the cross members of each panel extending between said beam members and thereby defining the spacing of said beam members, at least some of said beam members having ends thereof extending beyond said last mentioned cross members, said panels further including wooden skin means secured to said members and extending generally between the end beam members and between said cross members, two of said panels being in adjacent abutting relation on one side of a center line and two other panels being in abutting relation on the other side of the center line and in opposite relationship to said first two panels, the panels on each side of the center line having extending ends of the beam members extending towards the panels on the other side of the center line and being in offset side by side overlapping contacting relationship, and means extending through and securing together said overlapping extending ends and connecting panels on opposite sides of the center line and at least two of said panels on the same side of said center line.

2. The root construction of claim 1, said panels having at their adjacent abutting edges means defining tongue and groove means, said latter mentioned means comprising said skin means and the end beam members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 952,001 Davis Mar. 15, 1910 2,396,829 Carpenter Mar. 19, 1946 2,472,630 Stevenson June 7, 1949 2,630,604 Marsh Mar. 10, 1953 2,633,610 Hervey Apr. 7, 1953 7 2,849,758 Plumley et a1 Sept. 2, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 537,561 Belgium May 14, 1955 

1. A ROOF CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING AT LEAST FOUR WOODEN PREFABRICATED PANELS, EACH SAID PANEL COMPRISING AT LEAST THREE WOODEN BEAM MEMBERS EXTENDING IN SPACED, GENERALLY PARALLEL RELATIONSHIP, AT LEAST TWO OF SAID BEAM MEMBERS BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME LENGTH AND HAVING THEIR ENDS ALIGNED, AT LEAST SAID TWO BEAM MEMBERS BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM TRANSVERSE CROSS-SECTION THROUGHOUT THEIR LENGTHS, CROSS MEMBERS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID WOODEN BEAM MEMBERS AND SECURED THERETO WHEREBY TO FORM A GENERALLY RECTANGULAR FRAME, SOME OF THE CROSS MEMBERS OF EACH PANEL EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID BEAM MEMBERS AND THEREBY DEFINING THE SPACING OF SAID BEAM MEMBERS, AT LEAST SOME OF SAID BEAM MEMBERS HAVING ENDS THEREOF EXTENDING BEYOND SAID LAST MENTIONED CROSS MEMBERS, SAID PANELS FURTHER INCLUDING WOODEN SKIN MEANS SECURED TO SAID MEMBERS AND EXTENDING GENERALLY BETWEEN THE END BEAM MEMBERS AND BETWEEN SAID CROSS MEMBERS, TWO OF SAID PANELS BEING IN ADJACENT ABUTTING RELATION ON ONE SIDE OF A CENTER LINE AND TWO OTHER PANELS BEING IN ABUTTING RELATION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CENTER LINE AND IN OPPOSITE RELATIONSHIP TO SAID FIRST TWO PANELS, THE PANELS ON EACH SIDE OF THE CENTER LINE HAVING EXTENDING ENDS OF THE BEAM MEMBERS EXTENDING TOWARDS THE PANELS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CENTER LINE AND BEING IN OFFSET SIDE BY SIDE OVERLAPPING CONTACTING RELATIONSHIP, AND MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH AND SECURING TOGETHER SAID OVERLAPPING EXTENDING ENDS AND CONNECTING PANELS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CENTER LINE AND AT LEAST TWO OF SAID PANELS ON THE SAME SIDE OF SAID CENTER LINE. 